1. Technical Field.
The present invention generally relates to a toilet bowl ventilation apparatus, and more particularly relates to a bowl ventilation apparatus that can be mounted on or incorporated within the structure of a toilet bowl for the removal of odors generally from a bathroom environment and specifically from the area immediately proximal to the toilet bowl, and which can be activated by a proximity sensor.
2. Prior Art.
Bathroom fans are a primary method of removing odors in a bathroom environment arising from toilet usage. Typically, these fans draw air nonspecifically from the bathroom environment and either recirculate the drawn air back into the bathroom, sometimes through a filter, or disperse the drawn air in alternative locations or environments. As these fans are usually in ceilings or high up on the wall, it can take a significant amount of time for odors to travel or be drawn from the toilet bowl region to the fan for removal. During this time, the user and subsequent users of the bathroom are exposed to these odors, which can be unpleasant.
Because bathroom fans can take a significant amount of time to replace, recirculate and/or cleanse the air in a bathroom environment, the user often is forced to open a window to augment odor removal. Although opening a window can help cleanse the air in a bathroom environment, the opening of a window exposes the bathroom to the external environment, subjecting the bathroom and the user to possible extremes in temperature and humidity, depending on the geographic location and the season. Further, additional resources such as electricity or natural gas may need to be expended to heat or cool the bathroom. Further complicating this situation, opening a window could result in dust and allergens entering into the bathroom environment, which can be harmful to some users and/or require the bathroom to be cleaned more often.
Often, bathroom fans are electrically connected to the light switch such that when the light switch is activated, the fan is activated. This can result in a waste of electricity for the times when the bathroom light is needed, but the fan is not needed. Alternatively, there may be a second switch for the fan alone. However, this requires the user to both remember that there is a second switch to activate the fan, and to actually activate the switch.
Thus, there is a need for a more efficient apparatus for removing odors from a bathroom environment. There also is a need for such an apparatus to be effective enough to eliminate the need to open a window to augment its odor removing function. There also is a need for an apparatus that can be placed proximal to the toilet bowl to help remove the odors proximal to the toilet bowl before they disperse into the general bathroom environment. Finally, there is a need for a device that addresses the above issues, and others, that is simple and automatic to operate without much if any user intervention. It is to these needs that the present invention is directed.
Briefly, the present invention is bowl ventilation apparatus for removing odors or fumes proximal to and from within the toilet bowl. The present invention can be mounted proximal to or on the toilet bowl, or the toilet bowl can be structure to incorporate the present invention. In operation and use, the present invention provides an apparatus that helps remove odors close to their source and to keep such odors from spreading into the bathroom environment. The desired result is maintaining a bathroom that is more pleasant to the human olfactory sense. The preferred device has an automatic switch for activating the fan, preferably a proximity sensor or the equivalent.
More specifically, the present invention comprises an intake duct, an on/off switch, a powered fan, and a dispersing unit. The intake duct in one embodiment is structured to fit in the space between the toilet bowl rim and the toilet seat then the seat is in the closed position. In another embodiment, the intake duct is structurally formed into the toilet bowl rim when the toilet is manufactured. In another embodiment, the intake duct is structured to rest on the flat area generally found between the toilet seat and the water tank for home commodes or the water inlet pipe for institutional commodes.
The on/off switch can be manual or automatic or a combination of both. If a manual switch is used, it preferably is placed proximal to or on the intake duct for ease of use. If an automatic switch is used, it preferably is placed on the top of the intake duct or proximal and is activated either when the toilet seat is lowered and the user sits on the toilet seat or when the user is proximal enough to the toilet that the user activates the automatic switch. That is, activation can occur when the combined weight of the user and the toilet seat is on the switch, and when the user stands or other wise takes his or her weight off of the toilet seat, the weight of the toilet seat alone is not enough to activate the switch and deactivation occurs. Alternatively, the switch can be structured so that when only the toilet seat is lowered (that is, when only the weight of the toilet seat is on the switch), the switch is activated. Alternatively, a manual switch or a manual override switch and an automatic switch are used. The manual switch can be used to activate the automatic switch, such that when the manual switch is in the off position, the automatic switch will not operate, and when the manual switch is in the on position, the automatic switch will operate. That is, a manual override switch can be used to turn the device on and off irrespective of the operation of the automatic switch.
In a preferred embodiment, the on/off switch can be a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor can allow the activation of the ventilation system upon the detection of a person using or sitting on the toilet. More particularly, as the person approaches a preset distance from proximity sensor on the toilet, the proximity sensor will switch to the on position to activate the fan. To keep the fan activated, the person must remain at or within the preset distance from the proximity sensor. Otherwise, the proximity sensor will switch to the off position and deactivate the fan. Preferably, the proximity sensor activates the powered fan when the person gets close to or sits on the toilet. More specifically, the proximity sensor can be located on an inner edge of the intake duct or as a separate unit that communicates with the fan unit.
The powered fan and associated hardware, such as hoses, can be contained in a stand-alone unit placed on the bathroom floor, mounted on the bathroom wall, or for permanent installations contained in the bathroom wall. The intake duct can removably attached to the stand-alone unit for ease of cleaning and replacement. For such an alternative embodiment, the intake duct is connected to the stand-alone unit via a first connector on the intake duct hose that mates with a second connector on the stand-alone unit. The two connectors preferably have both a physical connection allowing odoriferous air to travel from the intake duct to the dispersing unit and an electrical connection allowing the activation switch or switches to activate the powered fan. The fan can be any of the known fans, such as for illustrative purposes bladed fans, squirrel cage fans, screw thread fans. The motor for the fan preferably is electric and is either plugged into a common electrical socket or is hard-wired into the electrical grid of the building. Alternatively, the fan motor can be battery operated or standard electric current reduced to the equivalency of a battery.
The dispersing unit and associated hardware, such as filters, fragrances, and exhaust means, preferably is contained in the same stand-alone unit as the fan or for permanent installations contained with the fan in the bathroom wall. Minimally, the dispersing unit comprises an exhaust duct for exhausting the drawn air back into the bathroom or to the exterior through the ceiling or wall. An odor eliminating filter is preferred if the drawn air is to be recirculated back into the bathroom, and various fragrance devices can be used to add a pleasant aroma to the recirculated air.
In operation and use, the bowl ventilation apparatus draws from within and proximal to the toilet bowl via a vacuum force generated by the fan through the intake duct, through a connecting hose, through and passed the powered fan, and finally through the dispersing unit. Alternatively, the dispersing unit can be located before the fan, that is, between the intake duct and the fan. The fan creates a vacuum drawing the air from the toilet area and then forces the air through the dispersing unit, if the dispersing unit is located behind the fan, or from the toilet area through the dispersing unit, if the dispersing unit is located in front of the fan. The optional filter can remove odors from the drawn air and/or the optional fragrance means can mask the drawn air with fragrance, and is useful for embodiments of the device that recirculate the air back into the bathroom. In alternative embodiments in which the dispersing unit distributes the drawn air to other locations or environments, a fragrance means is less useful.
These features and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which like reference numerals designate like components throughout the several views.